So many people write articles about how they love their small school. For reasons like: the small classes, the environment of peers, how the walk to class is short and all of this is very true, but I think that I’m most in love with my small school because of the little things. Allow me to explain.

For example, I’m an orientation leader at my school and have been for the past two years. Every year you have to resubmit your application, so on my acceptance email he include my nickname he gave me, KP. It’s having a nickname from a faculty member that makes me love my small school.

I was in my art class the other day and a girl in my class and the professor were having a very in depth conversation about relationship problems. Neither of them knew each other very well and having the teacher and student relationship they still were able to talk. The girl could vent and the professor listened and gave advice back. He never once told her to get back to her project or to stop disrupting him, he just listened. It’s having faculty that see you as a person with feelings than just class that makes me love my small school.

Another reason is one of the seniors I know is trying to get into grad school and for grad school you need letters of recommendation. For her, her teachers can genuinely talk about her and her work because they know her and have watched her grow. It’s having people know you rather than just knowing about you, that makes me love my small school.

My boyfriend gets terrible migraines. They put him out cold and make his eyes go cross eyed, he can’t function. He has told his professors about them and every time he gets one of this migraines, he emails his professors and they excuse the absence rather than just counting it against him. Also one time his teacher let him take a test a day later than the class because of one. It’s how teachers understand health issues is what makes me love my small school.

Being an athlete myself, I know how tough is it to balance school and lacrosse, but being at a school with about 70% of the students being athletes NO ONE is treated like royalty. Don’t get me wrong if you do something well in a game or break a record people will congratulate you, but no one does your homework for you, no coach is letting you still play while you don’t have the grades, and you have to go to class. You are held accountable and that’s what makes me love my small school.

I love my school. I picked it because of lacrosse and it made me feel like home, but I stay because of the relationships I’ve made and the people I have met. This place is home to me and will always be home to me.